Will Mancini

Church Vision Consultant, founder of Auxano, author of Church Unique

Almost without exception, churches somewhere utilize negative messaging for very practical reasons. After all, someone parking in the wrong spot can create havoc. So it’s quite natural to put up a sign that says, “No Parking Along Curb.”

But is that the only way to get the intended result?

The question is worth asking because studies show the impact of negative verses positive messaging on the brain. Negative messaging narrows your thought activity and focuses on actions related to the message. Positive messages on the other hand, broaden your thinking and create openness.More on this topic, from The Science of Positive Thinking.

So the big question is what kind of brain patterns do you want to create for people as they enter your church an prepare to worship the all-powerful and all-present living God and creator of the universe?

Let’s play this out for a guest coming to your church. What happens when they hit a cascade of messages like these:

No parking

Do not enter

For church members only

No skateboarding

No rollerblading

No bicycles

No scooters

No food or drink allowed

No talking

No trespassing

No running

No mobile phones

No signs allowed

No posters

No advertising

No parking along the curb

Essentially you create what we call the “No Church” church dynamic. Enough negative messaging and you might as well be saying…

Don’t come here

Don’t relax

Don’t worship

Don’t find God

Sounds laughable, doesn’t it. It wouldn’t if you could feel the influence of multi-stages of negative messaging from the perspective of someone totally new to church.

What can you do about this dilemma? Four things:

Step #1: Inventory your negative messages. List every one, walking from your entrance of your church to the worship center or sanctuary.

Step #2: Ask how important the prohibition message really is. I once worked with a church that prohibited the use of the ball field on their campus. Is that really worth it?

Step #3: Consider a positive message instead. This might not be obvious at first glance, but explore options as a team. Can a “No parking along curb” sign be replaced with a “Please keep traffic flowing” sign?

Step #4: Use your negative message with a point of humor. Why not have fun if you must communicate a negative message? The classic illustration is the “Thou shalt not park here” sign. What other ideas have you seen?

This is so true. God’s word to us is positive: come, forgiven, welcome…it is a hangover we have from our insistent need to earn our way to heaven; a legacy of our prohibitions-approach to life. And i suspect, there is a far deeper issue even after decades of hearing about Grace; something I explore in my upcoming book Shed Those Leaves (Singapore). Thank you for this reminder!